Friday, 12 July 2019
“The Peace Movement sends an urgent call to Winston Peters to reject any US demands for New Zealand participation in
patrolling the Persian Gulf and Straits of Hormuz. New Zealand should have nothing to do with any war on the Iranian
people,” said Valerie Morse, member of Auckland Peace Action.
“The US is attempting to build a new ‘coalition of the willing’ for an aggressive war against Iran, and is fishing
around for countries to carry the burden of an invasion and occupation. We need only to look at the war in Iraq to see
what an unmitigated disaster that has been.”
“The United States unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal - a deal that the Iranians were abiding by.”
“Since then, the United States has been ratcheting up tensions with Iran, seeking to provoke the Iranians into a
response. The Trump administration destroyed the best opportunity for peace building with Iran in generations, and is
now intent on carrying out the far-right agenda of regime change.”
“The scale of human horror involved in a new war is unimaginable. Millions of innocent people will die, and it is not
inconceivable that a US-Iran confrontation could provoke a new world war.”
“US allies in the region have a vested interest in war with Iran; both Israel and Saudi Arabia are pushing for US
action. Meanwhile the Russians and Chinese continue to support Iran. All of this sets the stage for a global conflict.”
“The UK Navy seizure of an Iranian tanker at the request of the US has now put the British government in a situation
where it is trying to uphold the nuclear deal with one hand and trying to punish the Iranians with the other. The New
Zealand Navy should not be a pawn in the US’s imperial war plans.”
“New Zealand should not supply any support for Trump’s war.”
ENDS